


Unexpected

by grimmfairy



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Character Injury, Past Child Abuse, Pre-Relationship, Sad Len
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 13:54:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5628958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grimmfairy/pseuds/grimmfairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry tries to comfort Len when something happens to Lisa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected

Barry found him sitting on the roof of the hospital, alone and staring at the moon. Len didn't give any indication that he heard the off-duty speedster join him, but Barry knew Len was aware of his presence. He is a very hard man to sneak up on, after all. Barry watched him from a distance for a few minutes, taking in the details of Len's face. The utter devastation in his eyes. Finally, Len moved fractionally, moving over on the ledge where he had sat down hours ago. Barry, taking that as an invitation or at least not a rejection, sat down next to him. Len was out of prison legally, having found a lawyer to argue that he was under duress when he worked with his father, committing self-defense when he killed him, and broken out of prison by Mardon under threat of death. So he was a legally free man, much to Joe's distaste. 

"I'm sorry," Barry said quietly. Len tensed beside him, exhaling sharply. "I should have been there. I could have helped."

"Not your fault, Barry," Len was silent for a moment. "The Flash was needed elsewhere."

"That's not..." Barry sighed in frustration. "I know. Rainbow Raider-"

" _Bivolo_ was working for me. I needed you _distracted_ ," Len spat. He sounded disgusted. "So it wasn't your fault. It's mine."

"I had had a feeling that's what what was going on," Barry nudged Len with his shoulder. "What happened?"

Len stared pointedly away from his nemesis. Barry already knew what had happened, had seen the ametuer camera footage and studied the medical files hacked by Felicity. So he didn't need to tell Barry the mechanics of what happened.

"I can plan for guards, security systems, police response times, getaway routes, but not alcoholics who get behind the wheel in broad daylight," Len turned to look at Barry, finally making eye contact. "Lisa didn't even seen the car. I did, and there was nothing I could do but watch."

Barry fought back the urge to flinch at the obvious signs that Len had been crying. Lisa had been driving a nondescript sedan, the getaway car, when a man that had a .16 blood alcohol level plowed into her at an intersection. Len had been following on his motorcycle, unable to prevent to carnage. Lisa had suffered multiple injuries, most notably trauma to her lower back, causing her kidneys to fail. The guilt that flooded Len when he looked at the machines hooked up to his sister and the bruising on her face was unparalleled.

"If I had been there, I could have gotten her to the hospital faster," Barry felt tears pricking his eyes. He wasn't particularly close to Lisa, mostly because her smile scared him and she seemed more dangerous than her brother. But she wasn't a monster, not really.

"Like I said. Not your fault, Scarlet. I'm the one that planned your distraction," Len sighed. "You've read my file?"

"Uh...no? I never got around to it and you know, not a lot of evidence left in on file against you now," Barry shrugged, a little sheepishly. "I never had the time."

Len laughed humorlessly. The fastest man alive, not having enough time.

"Well, if you had, you would know that there's nothing I can do to help her," Len said, stripping off the dark hoodie he had worn in an effort to disguise himself. He lifted up the hem of his t-shirt and turned so Barry could look at the scars. Barry couldn't stop himself from reaching out and brushing his fingers over the lines of scar tissue. Len tensed at the unexpected contact, but didn't push him away. They were old, completely healed and faded long ago, and Barry mentally calculated the young age Len would have been at the time. Glimpses of elaborate tattoos curled around the edges, mostly hidden by his shirt.

"What happened?"

"I fell down the stairs," Len answered dryly. "Multiple times and onto fist-shaped floors, according to my father. It was apparently cheaper to just remove the damn thing than try to fix the damage. Me and Lisa would be a match, but I need the one I've got."

"Oh, god, _Len_..." Barry's voice was think with emotion. Len shrugged, awkwardly craning his neck to look at Barry's fingers still absently tracing the scars. "How old were you?"

"Old enough to learn a lesson."

Barry finally pulled his hand away, allowing Len to drop his shirt back into place. A heavy silence settled around them, the muffled sounds of traffic and people speaking on the below them going unnoticed as Barry's wet eyes stared into Len's icy blue ones. Joe was strict, and Barry knew he would never forget how hard Joe had tried to convince him that his father was guilty, but he would never raise a hand to a child. His own parents were never anything but supportive and loving. Seeing tangible evidence of Len's abuse shook him to the core. Cool, gentle fingers brushed a tear away as it fell from his eye. He felt paralyzed, pinned in place by the look in the thief's eyes. Len started to lean in, eyes on Barry, asking for permission. Barry could hear a voice in his head (that sounded suspiciously like the Arrow) screaming that this was a bad idea and not the way heroes are supposed to behave around their villains. Barry supposed, as their lips brushed gently, that what he should do was alert the police that the Snarts were at the hospital. Then again, there was no evidence linking them to past crimes anymore and they never actually reached their intended destination today. So technically, he wasn't kissing a wanted criminal. Len pulled back, a look of surprise on his face. Whether it was because he had kissed Barry, or because Barry hadn't pulled back when he did, Barry didn't know. It was quickly replaced by a shadow of Captain Cold's trademark smirk.

Barry's phone started to ring, breaking the strange trance that had fallen over them.

"Sorry, I have to-um, it's um, Caitlyn. My doctor. You, um, already knew that though," Barry fumbled with his phone as Len looked on with amusement. "yeah...I found him...no, i'm fine...Yes, seriously, I'm fine...How do you think he is? His sister is in the hospital...Yeah, okay, I'm coming."

Len smirked. Barry glared at him.

"Gotta run," Barry smiled shyly at him, the remaining annoyance bleeding away. Len stood with Barry, strangely hesitant to see him leave. "They'll find a transplant, she'll be okay."

"You know us, with a lastname like Snart you have to be tough," Len smiled, a real smile, not a smirk or sad grimace. Barry stepped closer.

"Please don't try to punch me, but I'm going to hug you and I'm too fast for you to get away," Barry teased. Len allowed the slender man to wrap his arms around him, and whether he leaned into the contact or not he would never tell.

Then Barry was gone, the rush of air and his blush-stained cheeks the only evidence that the Flash had even been there.

 


End file.
